Here is a list of the most famous and iconic temples in Mumbai.

 Five most famous temples in Mumbai you must visit

Mumbai, the commercial and economic capital of India, is also the city of dreamers and a melting point of culture. Although, this metropolitan city is known for the fast paced life, it stands still during religious processions. You will find people, on their way to the office, bowing their head to the deity at a roadside temple and thronging to a Hanuman temple on Saturdays. There are several temples in Mumbai where you can witness this city’s religious passion. Mumbai is home to thousands of temples and each of these temples has diverse architectural style, tradition and religious legacy. Some of them are iconic and are a must visit to experience the spiritual grandeur. Here is a list of some of the most famous temples in Mumbai.

Mumbadevi temple

Dedicated to Mumba, the patron goddess of the native Somavanshi Kshatriya, Koli (fishermen) and Agri communities, Mumbadevi temple is said to be constructed in 1675 At Bori Bunder. The temple was rebuilt later at Bhuleshwar. The Koli community considers Mumbadevi as a guardian. Goddess Mumbadevi is an incarnation of Goddess Parvati and Mumbadevi temple is a Shakti temple. Situated on Bhuleshwar Road, the temple is very popular among devotees and tourist alike. Mumbadevi temple is among the oldest temples in Mumbai and the main deity of here is made of black stone and her face has orange color. The deity, adorned with jewelry like nose pin, crown and necklace, stands on a decorated altar. The idol of the goddess does not have a mouth to symbolize earth. The temple complex also includes idols of other deities. The city’s name Mumbai is derived from Mumbadevi.

Location: Mumba Devi Marg, Zaveri Bazar, Mumbai

Timing: The temple remains open on all days of the week except Monday. The timing for darshan is between 6 am to 12 pm and 4 pm to 9 pm. The temple sees maximum rush on Tuesdays.  Thousands of devotees visit the temple on Tuesday, as it is a significant day at Mumbadevi temple.

Siddhivinayak temple 

Siddhivinayak temple is one of the most important landmarks of Mumbai. Located in PrabhaDevi, Mumbai, the temple is dedicated to Ganesha, the elephant headed god. The temple is known to fulfil wishes and prayers of the devotees. It was founded in the year 1801 by Laxman Vithu and Devbhai Patil. The temple is among the Ashtavinayak temples in Maharashtra. The Siddhivinayak temple is also called Navasacha ganapati and Navasala Pavanara Ganapati. Tuesdays are special at this temple as the timing for Aarti as well as darshan is different from the other days of the week. Thousands of devotees throng to this temple on Tuesdays to offer prayer and seek blessing.

The main deity of the temple is Ganesha or Siddhivinayak with his consorts Siddi and RIddhi. The idols are placed on a small mandapam. The most striking feature of the Ganesha idol is that his trunk is on the right side. The trunk of almost all other Ganesha idol is on the left side. The idol has four hands holding a lotus, a small axe, a bowl of modaks and prayer beads. Earlier the temple was small and it had a small idol of Ganesh made of black stone. The temple also has a statue of Hanesha’s ride or vahan, Mushak. People believe that if you whisper your wishes into the ears of the mushak, it will come true. Today Siddhivinayak temple is Mumbai’s richest temple. It is said that the temple receives up to Rs 25 crore as donation annually. This temple has a unique and innovative architectural style. The roof of the sanctum sanctorum is gold plates and the wooden doors have images of Ashtavinayaka. The temple is very popular among celebrities. Bollywood actors usually visit Siddhivinayak temple before their movie’s release.

Address: SK Bole Marg, Prabhadevi, Mumbai

Timing: The temple is open on all days of the week. From Wednesday to Monday, the timing for darshan is from 5:30 am to 10 pm and on Tuesday, it is between 3:15 am to 10 pm.

Iskcon Temple

Located near Juhu Beach, ISKCON is the places you should visit if you are searching for inner peace. The spiritual aura and the serenity of this place will take you to another world. You can sit and meditate in here. One of the most famous temples in Mumbai, ISKCON attracts thousands of devotees and tourists. This beautiful temple is made of pristine white marbles. The intricate carvings and the architecture of the temple is a sight to behold. The main deity is Krishna along with Radha. The temple also has idols of other deities.  This ISKCOn temple in Mumbai was established by the Acharya A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the Hare Krishna movement, in the year 1978.

This sprawling structure includes an auditorium, guest houses, libraries and a restaurant. The auditorium hosts many religious performances. The temple is also known for its delicious food.

Address: K. M. Munshi Marg, Girgaon Chowpatty, Babulnath, Dadi Sheth Wadi, Malabar Hill, Mumbai

Timings: The temple is open on all days of the week from 4:30 am to 1 pm and 4:30 pm to 9 pm.

Babulnath Temple

Babulnath temple is an ancient temple dedicated to Shiva and is located just a stone throw away from Girgaon Chowpatty. The temple is just a 15 minutes’ ride away from Marine Lines railway station. The temple is among the iconic temples in Mumbai. The beautiful architecture and the intricate interiors of the temple is a sight to behold. This magnificent temple will remind you of Mount Kailash, which is considered to be Shiva’s abode.

Originally, the idol and the Shiv Lingam of Babulnath temple were consecrated by King Bhimdev II of the area in the 12 th century. This temple was lost over the course of time. However, during the period between 1700 and 1780, five of the idols were unearthed. Out of the five idols, one was broken so it was immersed in the sea. The other four idols, which are the Shiv Lingam and idols of Hanuman, Ganesha and Parvati, are kept in the temple. The temple’s first phase was built in 1780, after the five original idols were rediscovered.

People flock to this temple on Monday as this day of the week is dedicated to Shiva. The temple remains open for a longer duration on Mondays. The best time to visit this temple is the period between August and September.

Address: Babulnath Road, Charni Road, Malabar Hill, Near Chowpatty, Mumbai

Timings: The temple remains open on all days of the week from 5 am to 10 pm. On Mondays, it remains open for a longer duration.

Mahalakshmi temple

Photograph courtesy: mahalakshmi-temple.com

Dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi, Durga and Saraswati, Mahalakshmi temple was constructed in 1831 by a Hindu merchant, Dhakji Dadaji. The temple overlooks the sea and is one of the landmarks of the city of dreams. Located on Bhulabhai Desai Road, near Worli, the temple has a unique architecture. This iconic temple is a heritage structure and a popular tourist attraction.

There is stone-carved deepmala near the entrance of the temple. You will also find a wooden block wrapped in silver sheets. The Sabhamandap has a statue of a lion at the center, facing the main deity. The most important feature of the idol of Lakshmi of this temple is that it is ‘swayambhu’. The idol is decorated with bangles, nose ring and a golden mask. The three main deities sit on beautifully carved thrones. You will find the idols of Vithal-Rukmini and Ganesha outside the garbhagriha.

According to legend, Lord Hornby Vellard wanted to connect Malabar and Worli via Worli creek. Ramji Shivji Prabhu was appointed to do the work. After Prabhu and hi engineers failed to build a road connecting the two islands, he dreamt of the idol of Mahalakshmi in the creek. Prabhu recovered the idol from the creek and constructed a temple for it.

The temple is decorated during the Navaratri period. Devotees from near and far flock to this temple to offer their prayers during this period. There are many shops near the temple selling puja items and flowers.